Out of the Cold
by StarWarsMom
Summary: Annie comes home after 4 months without any contact. What has happened to the agency and all of the people within. Will Auggie and Annie survive what comes next?


Start of season 5

Auggie's POV

Annie had been gone for four months. She was supposed to be on a flight right back to DC after the Henry fiasco in Hong Kong. When she didn't catch her flight I received a text message. It was three simple words. "I need time." Caulder didn't understand but I did. I haven't heard from her since then. As worried as I am about her I know that she can take care of herself. She will come back when she is ready. So, I was shocked when I heard an alarm go off on my computer screen and Barber stuttered "Its.. Its Annie."

"What?" She came back without letting me know? I thought she would at least send me a message. "Where is she?"

"She's at the train station. She's sitting on a bench staring at the camera."

At that, I grabbed my cane and was out the door without another word. I texted my driver and he met me at the door. I told him where to go and my mind started racing. Why now? She could have chosen anytime to come back, she doesn't do anything without a reason. The car stopped and I thought we were at a red light. "We are at the station. Do you need me to wait for you?"

I must have lost track of the time. "I don't know." I got out of the car and turned back. "On second thought go ahead I'll find my own ride home."

I walked through the station. Before I left Barber told me where Annie was sitting. I walked towards the sound of the ticket booth and I caught the smell of her perfume. "Mingus." I just barely heard her whisper but knew it was her.

I reached for the bench and sat down. "Your back. Why didn't you give me a heads up?"

"Honestly I didn't know I was coming back until I was on the last train here."

I reached for her hand and she gently pulled away. "We need to talk before anyone else arrives. I figure they are what 5 minutes behind you if that."

This didn't sound good. I braced myself. Everyday, for the last four months I have waited for her to come home. Now that she is, Im afraid of what she will say. "Auggie I need you to not ask where I have been or what happened to me since. Since Hong Kong. I need you to leave it be. I want us to go back to the way it was before when it was simple and we were field op and handler."

"What about us?"

"I wasn't really prepared to come back I just ended up here." I could hear the sorrow in her voice. Maybe she really wasn't ready to be back home but I needed her here.

"That didn't answer my question Annie. Where does that leave you and me?"

"Not now Auggie."

I started to protest but I heard footsteps approaching behind us. "Walker where the hell have you been?" It was Caulder. I guess our conversation would have to wait.

Annie stood. " It's nice to see you too Caulder. Thanks for the welcome mat." She sounded like the old Annie. "We might want to take this somewhere else. There is a curiosity going through the station as to why there are so many suits surrounded around me."

After we got back to Langley Caulder put Annie in a conference room and waited for the other big wigs to arrive. Once everyone was present (and thankfully Joan had the sense to include me in this little meeting) Caulder begin asking questions. What happened to coming back to DC? Where did you go? Why did you chose to stay away? The normal barrage of questions for someone who was coming in from the cold and then disappeared for 4 months. Annie would only give one answer no matter how much they tried.

"I went to the beach. I gave the agency 4 years faithfully. I think 4 months was a fair trade off. I didn't contact anyone because I didn't have anything to say." I could hear that she was staring him down and sending a clear message to everyone in the room.

After everyone exhausted asking questions and getting the same answer Annie asked where she would go from here. She wanted to come back and work for the CIA. The DCI is the one that answered. "You were in the cold for 9 months and then disappeared for 4 more. You will go to the farm and be debriefed for the next 6 months. You will talk to no one and see no one outside of those walls. After that we will talk about reinstating you in the field."

I heard her intake of breath and knew what was coming. "I took down the biggest traitor that the agency has ever seen. I have risked my life innumerable times. I have given up everything. My family thinks I'm dead. I have no home left. I had to leave behind the people I care about. I came back of my own free will to serve this agency and risk it all again. And you want me to sit in some dark hole for 6 months and see nor talk to anyone. "

Before anyone could respond Joan piped in. "Annie is right. She needs to be around people. We have a debrief facility just outside the city. She could drive to it and giver her statements and still be allowed to come back to her own place. Until the debrief is over she would remain on leave. This is a compromise that would suit all a parties. "

"Joan this is outside of protocol. An agent coming in from the cold goes straight into debrief. No exceptions."

"Annie isn't just any agent. She brought down Henry Wilcox when almost no one knew what he was doing. She went in the dark without any support and without any complaints. She did it for all of us. Who knows what Henry would have accomplished right under our noses. Be reasonable. This allows for debrief but allows Annie to have some semblance of a life."

The DCI agreed and allowed Joan's plan but it took a lot of convincing on Joan and Caulder's part. Annie was allowed to contact her sister and remain in contact with whomever she would like, however she was not allowed to leave DC other than to go to the debrief facility. Reluctantly Annie agreed to it as well. Everyone was dismissed and returned to their offices.

Eventually I finished the last of what I needed to for the day. It took longer than usual because my kept wandering to Annie. I grabbed my coat and cane and walked downstairs. I was waiting for the car when I smelt Annie's perfume. I figured she would have been long gone. "Walker. What are you still doing here? I figured you would have been snuggled in bed by now."

"I would be if I had a bed to snuggle into."

I raised my eyebrows at this. Didn't they set you up with a safe house? Or a hotel room at least?"

"After everyone left the DCI spoke to me for a little longer and then told me to go home and report to the facility on Monday at 8 am. I took a cab to the house but Danielle apparently sold it. I am out of cash so I can't get a hotel room. I just got back to talk to Joan about finding me a place to stay. Its going to take me a while to be able to do anything myself because I am legally dead."

"Joan left a while ago. I was the last one out. Why don't you stay at my place for the night." It slipped out before I even thought about it. I didn't want to pressure her. Annie didn't say anything for a moment and I quickly added "We have a lot of catching up to do anyway. You can talk to Joan in the morning. She is usually exhausted when she gets home after being at work and taking care of Mackenzie. I wouldn't suggest calling her at this hour. You can crash at my apartment."

I heard Annie sigh but I knew she was giving in. "Alright but I am taking the couch."

"No lady will ever sleep on my couch while I sleep in my bed. In your dreams Walker. I get the couch."

I heard her smile as she told me that my car was here.


End file.
